Tardigrades: real live space invaders? (hosted media)

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Torward a new philosophy of Life! #5

5. “Life is no argument; error might be one of the conditions of life.”

- Friedrich Nietzsche the Joyful Wisdom book 3 part 1.  121.

 

 

 

The Partially Examined Life: Martin Buber’s “I and Thou” (hosted media)

This is a wonderful discussion on a great thinker, Martin Buber, I plan on reading this book my self soon. There are moments in this podcast that I found quit sweet, so I was surprised to hear the hosts expressing cynicism at the end. Well, at any rate they did a great job over all. The whole idea of Buber's book is to ground ethics in living life, by encountering others as "thou" instead of as "it". What he means is that we would be more ethical if we encountered the world with wonder and sacrifice instead of as a tool we could us for our own ends.

I am very attracted to this idea.


The Partially Examined Life: Martin Buber’s   “I and Thou”.




 

Should Portland put fluoride in the water? (Kboo radio)

Aquatic ecology expert Howard Jay Patterson talks about the health risks of fluoride.

http://kboo.fm/sites/default/files/episode_audio/kboo_episode.2.130423.0800.2681.mp3

Graham Harman Interview - Objects, Latour, Foucault, Freud, Egypt, animals and guns

I wrote on Graham Harman's book 'prince of networks' back in December if you'er into this stuff then you should check it out.

Neo-liberalism is not Libertarian

Let it be known Neo-liberalism is not Libertarian. This is glaringly clear when you consider the way Neo-liberals like Reagan, Bush, and Thatcher used deregulation to expand usury, and banker occupation. While further blearing the line between corporate and governmental power, through government subsides and other such codification of monopolistic privilege, monopoly privileges that where established by the "progressivest" policies of the new deal, there you have it left and right, hand and hand. It is these kind of interferences in the market that Libertarians like Ron Paul and Murray Rothbard dedicated their enter careers in fighting. Margaret Thatcher swore by the writings of Austrian economist, Friedrich Hayek. I say this was nothing but lip service. If she actually read the damn Road to Serfdom, she would have known that by her actions England was on it.

Let it be known Neo-liberalism is not Libertarian, just as small or no govenment is not the same as privetisation. No where, is this more clear then in the case of the privatization of food stamps. This will blow your mind, not only do the big banks skim value off your money sitting in their banks by inflating it, while holding down your interest rate, (banks you have to use because your being payed in checks) but when you can't afford the rising price of bread at the grocery store they print you some food stamps, which devalues your bank account yet even more, and makes you even more dependent on their "serves". This is the nature of imperialism; control the means of several. It's that simple.

Sunshine (my retelling of the legend of the bridge of the gods)

                                         Beaches And Canyons by black dice to me it's about rivers and mountains


This is my retelling of the legend of the bridge of the god's, Native American meta-story shared by the Klickitats and other tribes of the Willamette river valley where I've lived most of my life. I hope that you enjoy it and it inspires you to seek a deeper understanding of the place where you live and the people who have occupied it. The themes contained in the bridge of the gods includes jealousy, love, group affiliation, war, change, and the nature of knowledge, but the theme that I highlight the most is the theme of devotion, as it applies to our understanding of ourselves, our environment, and reality itself. I include a version of the original in the links so that you begin exploration into this deeply profaned native story.

Sunshine



 

There is a man made of radiation who lives in the sun. When he leaves home everyone calls him sunshine. Most every one loves him because he brings life and joy to them. But as time passed a vicious quarrel rose up between two brothers. They were so angry with each other that they couldn’t get far enough away from each other. Further more a strange vision began to fill their eyes, each of them began to see the whole of existence as belonging to themselves. Naturally this put them at bitter odds with each other. One night the older brother dreamt he was a frigid storm; he went down into the younger brothers nostrils and turned him into solid ice and shattered him into a million pieces. So Sun Shine took the two brothers up into the clouds and said look here at the pacific northwest, do you see how vast and beautiful it is? Certainly there is enough space for both of you there but if you can’t live in harmony I will split this land up and give each of you half. So each of you will shoot an arrow in the opposite direction and where your arrow falls that will be your land. I will set a river down that will separate your two lands. That river is called the Columbia today.

The older brother shot his arrow into the Willamette valley and became the father of the Multnomah people. The younger brother shot his arrow north to the Klickitat and be became the father of the Klickitat people. This action had some residual impact because each brother and their families started to see all of reality as two different sights, north and south belonging to a different brother. Then Sun Shine built an earthen bridge over the columbia and gave it to the two brothers to share. He named it the bridge of the gods because the two brothers exuded so much power over their surroundings. He hoped they would travel across it and come to realize that they actually needed each other, and for a long time that was just what happened and each was grateful for the help they received. Over time their respective numbers grew and many multitudes were crossing on a regular bases, and this was healthy for all that existed. But gradually they became ill-content with what they possessed and began to covet and steal what the other had.

So Sun Shine buried his face in his hands and wept and the sky went dark and it rained. And the rain was cold and relentlessly pelted the people on the top of their heads, noses and ears. The people began to think they would never see Sun Shine again. The people feared that they would freeze to death so they set out to find some warmth and they found it. At the center of the bridge of the gods lived a very old women who nurtured a fire at all times. They begged her to share it with them and she happily complied without asking anything in return. Sun shine lifted his face from his hands and smiled.

The people came from miles around carrying torches they would light with the womens fire to take back to their homes and children to cook meals and warm their faces. The flames shimmered over the colvalt blue hue of the early morning sky as people walked home.

Sun Shine came to the old women and said ‘Loo-wit’ which means fire on high, “I’m so impressed with you I want you to have what you want.” She said, “as I get older I have realized that life is short and beauty is fleeting, if only this wasn’t true.”

Sun Shine said, “Look Loo-wit this isn’t true for you,” and she became young and beautiful immediately. “Keep your fire burning for it is good.”

Peace and joy was in the land. Young men would gather at the bridge and Loo-wit would explain to them how to live in harmony together. They would marvel at her vast understanding and they gazed into her eyes and their eyes were changed because her eyes saw them and cared for them. The two brothers in particular were deeply moved by her great wisdom and kindness. In spite of her great wisdom Loo-wit could not decide which man she loved more. The brothers grew jealous and burned with animosity towards each other. The younger of the two snuck into the lodge of the older while he was asleep and gouged out his eyes so that he couldn’t see the beauty of Loo-wit anymore. This did not stop the older brother, he was such a great warrior, now blind, he went and killed a thousand of the younger brothers people.

Sun Shine was very frustrated by this time so he want to Loo-wit’s house on the bridge of the gods and said, “Loo-wit, your friends, those two brothers that admire you so much they will kill each other if you don’t pick one of them.” She said, “they will kill each other if I do pick one of them.” So Sun Shine said, “you are so wise, you know that is probably true but if you can’t choose one of them then you are going to have to tell them that you don’t love them.” Hearing this Loo-wit started to tremble and weep. “I can’t”, she said,” I can’t lie and I can’t make a decision–what can I do?”

So Sun Shine said, “I could turn you into a mountain because mountains don’t worry about love.” Loo-wit smiled with a glimer of hope. “Please do”, she said. Then Sun Shine turned her into a mountain and today people call her Mount Saint Helens.

When the brothers heard that Sunshine had turned her into a mountain they were greatly disturbed and crawled on the ground in anguish screaming at the sky. Sunshine heard them and came down and sat with them on the ground. They both asked Sun Shine how he could take from them what they most loved. Sun Shine said to them, “Which of you would became a mountain yourself to be with Loo-wit?” And at once they both proclaimed that this indeed was their deepest desire. So Sunshine turned them each into mountians. The older brother is known today as Mt. Adams and the younger brother is known as Mt. Hood. Upon seeing her close friends turned to stone for her sake Lo-Wit trembled with deep and great anxiety. She realized that the conflict that was theirs had became her own and that what was divided between her was now divided within her. Now the pressure builds within her and explodes from time to time usually killing thousands of beings in a wake of sorrow and destruction.

                                       

                                          Mount Hood over the Portland city skape

Links:

 the wikipedia artical

Tragic Triangle: the love story of Loowit


I'm going to add more links to this later. stay tuned!

Toward a new philosophy of Life! #4

4. Life is choice, and there is no choice with out life.

Toward a new philosophy of Life! #3

3. Life is change.

Toward a new philosophy of Life! #2

2. The only existentially consistent refutation of life is suicide.

The Chinese Garden

I work very close to the Chinese gardens in downtown Portland OR., and rather enjoy their presence even while never really spending the time to actually go behind the mythic walls. Today I learned that my work provides a free pass to all their employees, so took a brake, went over there and walked around for about 15 minutes. While I walked I thought about ancient samurai and ninjas and the like (samurai are Jappenise ninjas are too, right? Forgive my childish ignorince, I need to be able to make mistakes). I took a deep breath and my heart rate slowed down, as I stepped from the shade of some kind of willow tree and the light of the sun tumbled onto my face. I looked to my left as I walked and saw a large Chines Goldfish with black spots on it, I wonder if it was sick, it nibbled the pond floor and wiggled its fines in a sweeping motion that reminded me of the purr of the pet Ginny pigs back at my work. I thought that this rhythm indicated some special emotional sensitivity that allowed the fish to sense the spirit of the water. As I continued to walk I saw a monkey trees, but didn't remember the name of it so I looked for a info plaque when I found it I couldn't read it, I think it was in Mandarin, but on the bottom left I saw it said Fred Meyer. I felt the persona of an indigent leftist in my gaze. Even the city's Chinese Garden has the stench of corporate sponsorship on it. I exhaled and the cynical attitude subsided, I looked around and saw no other sign of the regional big box grocery store, every thing was beautiful and exotic. Then I thought, if Freddie wants to pitch in to make this place happen then more power to them, maybe in the future corporations won’t bombard us with their esthetic pollution anymore. Maybe in the future all the parking lots will be corporate sponsored gardens. In that future there would still be a monolithic shadow class making all the real decisions, but our daily experience would at least be a little more pleasant, and maybe even considerably more varied. Shore this will spell the a yet more subliminal controlling of our esthetic tastes, but really what leftist institution can offer us more, or esthetic tastes are under many what could be called leftist institutions with out much of a better out come. I say wake up! Enjoy what you can enjoy, and take control of your own tastes and your own senses. And give credit where credit is dew... thank you Fred Meyer! And make the best of what we got.

Toward a new philosophy of Life! #1

1. Life is not primaraly a matter of politics. Life shapes the city and not the other way around.

Noam Chomsky on Hugo Chavez of Venezuela (hosted media)

I do believe that Hugo Chavez was a great man and that he did more for his country then any American president ever has done of theirs. For this he will be punished, he was defamed before death and he will be slandered after a long time to come. Of cause he is paid lip service by the Liberal federalist (liberal leftist & and big biasness demarcates), Obama and his ilk. But if they gave two shits about him then they would be drafting a dramatically different trade policy. So don't believe them! For those that understand though Hugo Chavez's legacy will live on.




I will say though that unlike all those that love to give Hugo Chavez lip serves while utterly rejecting everything he stood for, I actually do like a good and honest critique of his governing style. This is because to me it’s not about aligning myself with the cool kid on the block; it's about shedding light on what has been concealed. I will admit that I don't know everything but from where I stand Hugo Chaves was the greatest force against globalism and the advance of empire in recent history. The reason he is hated is because he protected his people's resources.

Immortal Technique On Fire with Alex Jones

Immortal Tehnique V. Alex Jones! Alright there's not really a conflict here. It's like so many people have said, when you really listen to what left-wingers and right-wingers are saying, you find out their saying the same damn thing...
What ever you think of these guys you have to watch this, this is the best left/right dialog I've ever seen. I found my self agreeing with both of them most of the time, and feeling glad they where talking to eachother. Ok so Alex Jones cuts Immortal Technique off a few times but oh well, you cant stop ones nature. We must work with nature after all. I look forward to a future with more dialogs like this one. I mean are you not sick to death of the fake political dramas on Fox News and the like. It's high time we get down to bras tax. 

Documentary on Coptic Orthodox Parishes in Jerusalem (The Church in Jerusalem)

Embryology: National Geographic - In The Womb